With the encouragement and the blessings of their Holiness Pope Benedict and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew a group of scholars from the Universities of Berlin, Nottingham and Vienna as well as the Academies of Sciences of Bavaria and the Vatican, representing the western Church tradition and another group from the Universities of Athens, Ioannina, Komotini, Thessaloniki and the National Research Foundation representing the eastern Church tradition, organize a symposion on "Modes of Communication between Rome and Constantinople through the centuries".

This scholarly symposion is inspired by the historic visit of his Holiness the Pope at the Seat of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. It was thought necessary to study how over the centuries the two superior centers of Church administration exchanged their experience and necessary information on issues of common interest. Thus we have registered visits of popes in Byzantine Constantinople in the earlier period, visits of Patriarchs to Rome in later periods, the institution of the apocrisiarii as standing legates of Rome to the capital of the Empire, ad hoc delegations both ways, and the exchange of letters and gifts: all modes and tools of a close and constant cooperation even at times when the opinions on doctrinal or canonical issues were not in harmony to each other.

The symposion will be held in Istanbul from 27 through 29 November and will be officially inaugurated by his Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

In particular we plan to discuss thirteen topics according to the following list:

List of Speakers and Themes

Robert Markus, Nottingham
The Roman Apocrisiarii at Constantinople

Heinz Ohme, Berlin
The Concilium Quinisextum A case study of communication at the end of the seventh century

Erich Lamberz, Munich
The correspondence between Hadrian and Tarasius

Alkmini Zafraka, Thessaloniki
Unity in peril: The issue of the Cyrilomethodian mission

Constantine Pitsakis, Komotini
The communication of the Thrones in the Twelfth Century

Werner Maleczek, Vienna
The Roman-Byzantine relationship in the Register of Innocent III

Symeon Paschalidis, Thessaloniki
Modes of communication through common Saints' veneration

Luca Pieralli, Vatican
Roman initiatives for contacts between Constantinople and Rome in the XIIIth and XIVth centuries

Alexandros Alexakis, Ioannina
Official and Unofficial Contacts between Rome and Constantinople before the Council of Lyons (1274)

Walter Brandmüller, Vatican
The question of Union in the time of pope Martin V

Evangelos Chrysos, Athens
Rome and New Rome meet in Ferrara and Florence

Kriton Chrysochoidis, Athens
Contacts between the two Thrones in early Ottoman times

Sotirios Varnalidis, Thessaloniki
Experiencing the meetings of Popes and Patriarchs in recent times